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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Located outside Bhubaneshwar away from the city’s hustle
bustle, 64 Yogini temple certainly makes you curious. While driving through the
not so good road you wonder who has built this temple here. But, by the time you
visit and return you will have sufficient answer for the way it is located.

Paddy fields on the way

I had heard about 64 Yogini temple and it was on top of my
list when I visited Orissa. After visiting Dauligiri, place where Ashoka won
Kalinga battle and took a paradigm shift to renounce the violence and to thread
the the path of Buddha, I headed towards 64 Yogini temple. After a severe rocking
drive on a muddy road surrounded by paddy fields, car halted at a place where I
didn’t find any gopura or Shrine to recognize it as temple.

Compound seen is the temple premises. Due to its heights it is not even seen from the road

When I entered into the temple premises, it was about 3 in
the afternoon. There was no one around.My driver broughtfew boys one of them was in the attire of priest.
He guided me to the temple.

In the entrance of the temple premises there is a small
temple. May be recently built. Couldn’t make out the deity.. The temple has an
unique architecture. Unlike Hindu temples, where god or goddess is housed in the
sanctum sanctorum with heavy gopuras, this temple also called as Mahamaya
temple is a circular temple without any roof. It is open to sky. If we observe,
we can see the temple is built in the shape of vagina(yoni). I was not
surprised, as it symbolizes mother goddess. The way child comes through the
yoni of the mother, the material world comes into existence through Mahamaya.
Mahamaya is the Yoni.

Circular roofless temple

I had read somewhere that there are only 4 Yogini temples in
India and this is one of them. Height of the temple is barely 8 ft. Inside the
temple along the inner wall are niches
where each of the Yogini’s are installed. Each one of the Yogini’s are
different with distinct feature and have different animals beside them or
mounted on them. Temple is built in sandstone
but Yoginis are sculpted in different stone.

Yoginis on the inner wall of the temple

The presiding deity Mahamaya is in the middle of the
circumference. Priest whose family is in charge of Pooja for the temple
performed pooja to Mahamaya and asked me to pay some money. When I paid he
demnded for more. There was no escape. They had covered Mahamaya with red
clothes and lot of vermillion covering the idol. In the center of the circular
temple is a small structure- Chandi mantap which has Bhairava , a form of Shiva
and Yogini.

Mahamaya, the goddess

Outer side of the circular structure houses nine deities
called as Katyayinis. They serve as a guarding deities.

Katyayini on the outer wall of the temple

As soon as we enter the temple we can easily make out this
temple belongs to tantric cult. There is a big platform outside the temple
which I was told was once used for sacrificing animals. That explains why temple
is located outside the city , outside the village almost in a place which is
not easily accessible. Priest, continued
to explain that even now, they are scared to enter the temple premises after
dark as they believe Yogini’s go out for round during night and villagers hear
some sounds. Not sure how true it is.

Structure in the centre

Mahamaya the goddess, has 64 attendants with different animal
consort with them. As per tantric scriptures 64 is a symbolic number.In India,
64 has lot of significance. Even art forms are 64 in number. Tantra explains Yogini cult which worships Mahamaya. This temple is believed to be built during
9century. Since, Buddhism was at its peak during that time, this
temple could also have been influenced by Buddhist tantric practices. As this
temple is evidently Tantric temple, it was not known to public till 1953, when
someone discovered it. It could have been intentional to keep it under wrap.

It was an experience
to feel surrounded by 64 Yogini’s when I was standing inside the circular temple.

Notes

- - 64 Yogini temple is 15-20 km away from
Bhuvaneshwar. It is about 8-9 kms from Dhauligiri. Morning hours are good time
to visit the temple as somebody in charge of the temple will be available.

Friday, July 25, 2014

When you walk along the streets of Thimpu, you just can't miss Buddha point on the mountains of Thimpu. It will play hide and seek as we move around Thimpu city.

Buddha view from Thimpu

Located 6 km from the city, Buddha statue at Buddha point is the tallest sitting Buddha in the world. It is the latest attraction of Thimpu.

Buddha in the backdrop of blue sky

In local language it is called Buddha Dordenma. 51mt long Buddha statue will house more than 100,000 nos of small statues. When I visited, construction of interiors of the structure housing statues was going on. I didn't see any workers around.

Buddha's smile in the backdrop of blue sky surrounded by mountains overlooking Thimpu valley was such a serene experience.

Third eye made of diamond

It was me , Buddha and chilling breeze. I savored the company of both.
Pls visit Skywatch Friday for more pictures on Skywatch

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Sydney is a lovely city. It has beautiful public art
installations across the city. Taking a walk along the streets is the best way to explore any city. I try to walk as much as possible in all the new places to feel the place. Sydney
being one of the best cities to walk due its perfect footpaths, provides more reasons to take a walk and
it is all worth it. I never got tired walking on the streets of Sydney.

A few art
installations which were intriguing are here for you. There is a story behind each
of these pieces. These interesting installations made me to stop and take pictures.

1. Forgotten songs

A small alley in Angel place, opens up to sky with
number of cages suspended and birds chirping. It was such a fabulous sight. There was queue of couples posing for wedding photography. A great framework for a memorable picture.

I took some time to realize these cages were empty. Song of birds was
coming from speakers. Forgotten Songs is an audible cum visual installationof suspended empty cages in the air singing
forgotten songs of birds. This art was developed by Michael Thomas Hill with a
team of technical consultants in 2009. This art commemorates the songs of fifty
birds once heard in Sydney which don’t exist now due to urbanization.Speakers have been set to change according to the chirping of morning and night birds.

2. Islay

Islay, QVB Sydney

As we move closer to him he says, "Hello, my name is
Islay. I was once the companion of the great Queen Victoria. Because of the
many good deeds I have done for deaf and blind children, I have been given the
power of speech!!". Apparently Queen Victoria was fond of her dog, Islay. On
his memory this bronze sculpture is installed infront of the famous QVB buildingwith motion sensors. He asks us to pay him money.It was so funny that when he was alive he was
begging for biscuits now he begs for coin to help blind anddeaf children.

II Porcellino

Wild boar, II Porcellino

Staue of wild boar stands outside the Sydney Hospital. Apparently it is the copy of
one in Florence. It is believed that if we rub his snout, it brings luck. I
don’t know how many were lucky after rubbing his snout, but certainly almost
everyone one will try. Snout color will certainly speaks of number of rubbings. We need to make small
donation towards the hospital before we rub his snout.

4.Waiting

A business man reading newspaper is a statue by J Steward
Johnson by name Waiting. It is located in front of Australia square building.

Waiting - News paper reading man, Sydney

5.Rhino Sculptures

Rhino sculpture

When I was in Sydney in April, there were Rhino sculptures all over
Sydney.Each one was different from the other. It was an initiative taken by
Tarong Zoo to raise fund for Rhino conservation program. I was told that all these sculptures will be auctioned to raise fund. When I again visited a month later I
didn’t find them.

6.Eternity

Eternity

Eternity is a very significant word in Sydney. Word Eternity is written in aluminum on the path at Town Hall Square. It
has an interesting story. As told by my guide, word Eternity handwritten was found everywhere in Sydney from 1940
to 1960 for 20 years. Only in 1956, it was revealed that an eccentric man who found peace in
religion was writing the word everywhere and it seems it was found in half a million places on wall, footpaths and everywhere.Now, as Aussies say, word Eternity has become quintessentially Sydney message. During opening of Sydney Olympic, Sydney displayed what this word Eternity means to them by writing it in fire works.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Shikara ride on Dal lake is the most natural choice for
anyone to end their dayin Srinagar. Dal
lake is Srinagar’s most enchanting place surrounded by mountains. It is even
more charming due to its brightly painted Shikaras and houseboats which will embellish
the vast beautiful lake with bustling life. Shikaras are the wooden boats which
are the means for commute in Dal lake.

Shikara ride on Dal lake

Inside the boats they have cushions for
comfort and decked with Kashmiri clothes giving us the taste of Kashmir.Dal lake is a floating township. It has everything to
contain a smooth life, fromcoffee shop
to Apparels , from Restaurants to handicraft shops, from hotels( House boat) to
vegetable market.

Floating shops on Dal Lake

Interiors of Shikaras parked in a row

When we started our Shikara ride it was late in the evening.
Temperature was dipping every minute. Sun was almost behind the mountains
towards west. As we started our ride, floating trinket hawkers stopped us every
5 minutes. Finally we decided to buy something. While we were negotiating with
them, couple of other Shikaras surrounded us with albums. You guessed it right.
Mobile studio. They showed us albums to get photographs in Kashmiri dress and were ready with different colors of dresses
and necessary accessories. I was sold before they finished their selling
session. In next 2 minutes I was in Kashmiri dress posing !! They delivered the
pics later to our house boat.Though it was funny, it is nice to relish those moments now

Me posing

As we make our way from these entrepreneurs, picking up tasting Kashmiri
kava from the floating restaurants, western sky was in its colors. Some pics
for you.

Dal lake

Dal lake at Sunset

We stayed in one of the house
boats. It was not floating as they say. It was well anchored permanent hotels in
the shape of a boat in Dal lake.Boat we
stayed had luxurious interiors in its lobby. But comfort of stay was just basic.

House boat

If I ever visit Srinagar again, I don’t think I will stay in floating house
boat.Rather I explore home-stays as suggested by Poorna & Brinda .Go and check out more Skywatch
images at the Skywatch site.